Portable Note Collector/Distributor

ABSTRACT

The primary benefit of the Portable Note Collector/Distributor is its usage simplicity. Only a select number of sticky notes need to be carried eliminating the need for a thick pad of notes. Its very usage promotes focused writing, clear thinking and sticky note management solutions. Further, it provides flexibility (with reference to lifestyle); convenience, durability, tactile experience, high goal setting and collecting/distribution potentials.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This Portable Note Collector/Distributor was first designed to help organize professional teaching/instructional strategies. Later, prototypes were designed for other purposes. However, it was immediately recognized that anyone could utilize this simple product.

Although originally designed for school, home, and office its potential role expanded as the concept was developed. Essentially, the idea evolved out of the inventors own teaching experiences. The high school where he taught was providing sticky notes to instructors for use in the classroom. He was using them to record strategies and demonstrations that were going to be executed the following day. One sticky note was used for each class that he taught. The inventor soon found that he needed to take them home as he prepared for the next days instructional sessions. Using poster-board, he designed his first note collector/distributor in August, 2003. Then, after two years of continual use he decided to begin the collection of notary signatures with the idea of possibly filing a patent. Various cover designs were exploited over a three-year period until he retired. Upon retirement he continued to think about applying for a patent. This period was utilized to think of applications and names for the product. Notary documentation on the title“Sanity Notes” has been completed and a trademark application has been filed at the Dallas County Court House in Iowa. A provisional patent was applied for and postmarked Mar. 02, 2011 (Application No. 61/464.242).

The use of the note collector/distributor is simple. For example, when the inventor was teaching, the prototype was used to collect sticky notes at the end of the day. Six sticky notes were used to document the main strategy goals of six classes. The prototype was then taken home and strategy goals for the next day were finished at his leisure. The next day, sticky notes would be distributed to files that contained pertinent information on each strategy. Eventually, the best goals were selected from the sticky notes and typed into instructional objectives. Upon retirement in 2006 the inventor continued to work with the prototype; making grocery menus and daily goal lists. At one point, he was doing a lot of volunteer work and meeting a many professionals. He needed a way to carry his business cards and collect others. So, he came up with the idea of including a slot in the prototype for this purpose. It became evident that the slot could hold a variety of cards. He now used it to carry his license; one credit card, one gym work-out card and folded cash. Future versions may have several slots. Using this product could allow one to forget about carrying around a bulky billfold or purse. It easily fits in a gym bag pocket when one go to work-out or slots into a book when one goes to the library. For those who like to travel light this product is a must.

For several years the inventor has employed the services of Graphic Designer, Jennifer Sayers, of Bijou Grafix in Des Moines, Iowa She worked on dozens of designs out of which were selected four for proofing at the manufacturing level. These four designs have been presented to the manufacturer, Corporate Image of Des Moines, along with the original product drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This portable note collector/distributor has been designed to help one become more organized. The note collector/distributor's function is to hold a variety of sticky notes that can go with one by any means possible (i.e. in a shirt pocket). It has a slot that can hold business cards, credit cards, a driver's license, library card, cash, etc. Only sticky notes needed for the day and a few blank sticky notes are carried. This eliminates the need to carry around a full or partial pad of sticky notes. Being thin and small in size, it fits just about anywhere (i.e. in a book). Being light in weight notes can be carried to various locations and attached to multiple files or surfaces. The colorful design on each note collector/distributor allows one to easily distinguish it from other paper products or materials in most working areas. Designed to fit in ones hand when writing; it is primarily designed for school, home, and office but can be used in many environments. This product offers a convenient solution to handling and organizing sticky notes. However, the note collector/distributor was also designed to work in areas or situations where electronic devices might not be practical.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a basic drawing of the Portable Note Collector/Distributor in a fold-out presentation that will be used to begin the manufacturing process. Numerals 1 through 9 are descriptors used to identify specific details of the drawing. The word Slot refers to an opening between two pressed surfaces. The word Section(s) refers to the four layout sections of the product. The words Hidden Lines refers to creased edges.

FIGS. 2-5 are black and white views of the four original color plates used to continue the manufacturing process. Screened areas will have specific colors applied by the printer. Four designs are represented with accompanying logos.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The original plate for this note collector/distributor was designed on the inventor's home laptop using Robo Master for QuicKutz. It was then transferred by CD to the manufacturing company. There, the product design was further refined with a CAD software program. FIG. 1 (the original plate design) was then modified to include Slot 8. The removal of the paper in this slot allowed Sections 6 and 7 to be folded without binding after Sections 6 and 7 were folded to the backsides of Sections 2 and 3 so that Sections 6 and 7 appeared on the inside of the prototype. Slot 9 was incorporated into the design to hold business cards but it became apparent that it could also hold a variety of credentials. Slot 9 is centered in Section 7. All sixteen corners have the same radius (see numeral 5) specifically. Numeral 1 represents the sticky note surface comprising all of Section 6. Numeral 4 identifies one of the creased edges illustrated by hidden lines.

As the prototype was reaching completion, a graphic artist was hired to design the logo, text, and color solutions represented here in black and white (see FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5). Photoshop CS4, Illustrator CSR and InDesign CSR were used to create original RGB images from which the manufacturer could then generate four-color separations. Pantone colors used included 512-Purple, 575-Khaki Green, and Yellow-Yellow. However, colors will continue to change in each printing series.

While the designs were being created; a non-reflective, recyclable polypropylene film with a silky feel and appearance was selected for all surfaces. Coated to resist scratching and minimize fingerprints the polypropylene film was selected to be laminated to recyclable paper stock. This natural matte lamination film allowed the color patterns to be at their best saturation. The manufacturer is a committed Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified Printer and the materials used in this product fall under the Council's guidelines. For example, the manufacturer prints with soy-based inks. A simple prototype was then made from the above materials.

The next step in the process is for the manufacturer to develop a prototype of the custom product, built to the template (see FIG. 1, original plate design), for approval prior to providing a digital template. Then, the manufacturer will generate color digital proofs for approval prior to printing. Once approval to proceed has been granted, a production timeline will be provided that will include the printing press, lamination, die cutting and folding. For the first printing run on this invention two hundred and fifty (250) copies will be made from each of the four digital templates.

The key goals of this product evolved out of real-life circumstances' involved with the inventors own professional career as a teacher. The bulky note pad solutions of the past did not appeal to his multi-tasking/divergent thinking goals. After examining dozens of notepad holders it was obvious that there were limitations. One example of prior limitations can include U.S. Pat. No. 7,290,953 (2007) to Regala. Regala's invention sports the following limitations; a thick notepad, a slot for a cumbersome pen, pull tabs, and a hinge. The Portable Note Collector/Distributor has none of these limitations. The creased edges allow for closure without the need of a hinge. The more it is used the more thoroughly it closes. One attaches only the desired number of sticky notes needed. As a teacher, the inventor had one sticky note for each class. He would line them over each other in descending order so that he could see the hour (01-06) of each class. They were placed (see FIG. 1, numeral 6) to the right of Slot 9 when the portable device was folded. Slot 9 is multi-functional. He used it to carry a wide variety of items including credit cards, a driver's license, cash, a library card with notes on the books that he wanted to order, business cards, etc.

This invention can be used to hold larger sticky notes so that shopping lists can be created or on-the-job notes can help one become more organized. At the end of each teaching day the inventor would take his notes home to add goals for each of the next day's classes. By the end of the next school day he would distribute the notes to teaching folders where suggestions for change, improvement and goals were retained for future use. The themes that define this products usage are; simplicity, flexibility (with reference to lifestyle), high goal setting and distribution potentials through use, promotes thinking adaptability, convenience, durability (ease of cleaning), multi-functional aspects, tactile quality (both when touching the product and the act of writing).

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, polypropylene film and paper stock will be used on the first printing but, many other materials are being considered for future use such as aluminum, various plastics, pliable synthetic materials and intelligent surfaces. The size of the product may vary and, thought has been given to embedded locator chips that would send out a signal to ones phone, thin soft-touch calculators, voice directions for product use, pressure point surfaces that would alter cover designs, 3-D surface games, specialized solar functionality, etc.

Research of “Prior Art” has not revealed any notepad inventions with the stated intention of holding only a few sticky notes. Further, none of them have indicated collecting and distribution claims. Usage simplicity actually goes in the opposite direction in most notepad inventions; becoming more complicated than necessary by the addition of pencils, cords, laminated picture holders, bulky hinges, zippers, pull tabs, magnets, snaps, and the list goes on. Notary prototypes have been documented by the inventor as far back as Nov. 23, 2005. Notary signatures have been collected at the various stages of change as it applies to the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A Portable Note Collector/Distributor comprising: a first cover and a second cover with a shared crease and the easy application and removal of a variety of sticky notes when the first cover and the second cover are in an open position.
 2. The Portable Note Collector/Distributor in claim 1 wherein contains a slot on the inside of the first cover that is designed to fulfill multiple purposes such as credit card and/or cash insertion however, several slots may be used in future series.
 3. The Portable Note Collector/Distributor as set forth in claim 1 allows attractive designs on the first cover of the invention to be easily distinguished from other paper products or materials in most working areas.
 4. The Portable Note Collector/Distributor as set forth in claim 1 consists of a non-reflective, recyclable polypropylene film with a silky feel and appearance, coated to resist scratching and minimize fingerprints and, is laminated to recyclable paper stock on all surfaces but, surfaces and coatings may vary in future printing series.
 5. The Portable Note Collector/Distributor as set forth in claim 1 is a convenient size for both men, women and children and, can be easily placed in a shirt pocket; purse, book, brief case, backpack, bike bag, notebook, and a variety of other consumer products but again, the size of the invention may vary.
 6. The Portable Note collector/Distributor as set forth in claim 1 presents men, women and children the opportunity to do focused writing which was sighted as a major factor in this inventor's research.
 7. The Portable Note Collector/Distributor as set forth in claim 1 offers a surface that can be easily cleaned.
 8. The Portable Note Collector/Distributor as set forth in claim 1 presents a laminated surface that can accommodate a wide variety of personalized stickers that are available in many retail stores. however, surfaces may vary as the article of manufacture evolves.
 9. The Portable Note Collector/Distributor as set forth in claim 1 offers the opportunity to attach hanging clips for commercial display purposes that will not penetrate most surfaces to be used on the invention. 